Watch: Tameka Foster on her petition calling for change at Lake Lanier
It’s been 11 years since celebrity stylist Tameka Foster lost her son Kile tubing on the popular lake in Georgia and she’s petitioning for change.
Celebrity stylist Tameka Foster lost her son Kile in 2012 while he was riding on an inner tube at Lake Lanier and was struck by a jet ski. The person driving the jet ski was later found guilty of homicide by vessel and sentenced to four years in prison. The popular water destination continues to take countless lives.
More than 700 people have died at the lake since it was created nearly 70 years ago. Foster, founder of Kile’s World Foundation talks to theGrio’s Eboni K. Williams about her petition that calls for change at the Georgia lake.
The following is a transcript of their conversation.
Eboni K. Williams [00:00:09] Welcome to theGrio. I’m Eboni K. Williams. Today we start with a look at Georgia’s most popular water destination, Lake Lanier. It attracts thousands of people during this time of year. But we have to ask, is it safe? More than 700 people have died at the lake since it was created nearly 70 years ago. And it’s all sparking calls to make some changes.
Williams [00:01:02] Joining me now is Tameka Foster. Very sadly, she is one of the countless number of people who has lost a loved one on the lake, which is located just 40 miles outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Ten years ago, her 11-year-old son, Kile, was killed when a jet ski crashed into the inner tube that he was riding on.
Now, Tameka has recently started a petition where she’s demanding better safety measures on Lake Lanier. She wants it to be drained, cleaned and restored. Tameka, thank you, dear, so much for joining us. Now, before we get started, I do want to let you know that we reached out here at the Grio to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about your petition.
They’re the ones that are in charge of maintaining the lake. They did give us a statement saying in part this: “The lake is safe for both boaters and swimmers. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not considering draining the lake. There are many businesses and organizations that partner together with the Corps at different points of the year to help clean the lake on a regular basis.
We do everything we can to ensure the safety of our visitors, and every loss of life is a tragedy and one we take to heart. Tameka, what is your response to that statement?
Tameka Foster [00:02:16] I mean, it was somewhat expected. I mean, you know, it is there’s no question how disproportionately Black people have suffered at the hands of, you know, a big business. The biggest thing is, is that this is not a Black or white or green or any race thing. This is just about safety. The lake is not safe.
That’s why this year they’ve closed a certain area where you can’t swim near the dock. I think they’re starting to realize that it is not safe. There’s been a lot of deaths, but we’re not even going to speak about the countless numbers of injuries and people who had near fatalities at the lake.
Williams [00:03:00] Indeed. And just to give people some context to make I want to let people at home watching this know a little bit about this lake. Number one, it’s a manmade lake. It was created by the federal government back in the 1950s. Now, also, what a lot of folks don’t know is that it really sits on top of what used to be a small, thriving Black town known as Oscarville.
That town was flooded by the government to create this lake. And that means that beneath the surface of the waters there, there’s all types of things that swimmers can get entangled with and debris, old building structures and even trees and greenery. So Tameka, given everything that’s underneath the surface of this water, all the debris, the trees and all of these things. Do you think most people going on that lake this summer even know the possible dangers?
Foster [00:03:50] They have no idea. I mean, it looks so placid from, you know, when you drive there and you look at it, it looks so serene. And they have no idea that there are, you know, cemeteries and houses and farms and everything that was built, you know, back in the ’50s that were all flooded for this lake.
Williams [00:04:10] Mm hmm. And the number of, like you say, deaths and we won’t even talk about the injuries because they’re too many to count, it is…it’s abnormal. Let’s just say it plain, right?
You have gotten hundreds of signatures for your petition. I want to know, Tameka, have you been in contact of any lawmakers or other government officials who reached out to you directly at this point?
Foster [00:04:31] Not yet. I mean, listen, at the time that the accident happened with my son, there was a law made. It was called the “Kile Glover Voter Education Act” and I guess it was kind of to quell my concerns about the lake and I saw that the changes didn’t happen as a result of it. I think Nathan Deal signed this law into action, and there’s been no action taken.
There still been deaths, still, you know, a lot of BUIs and I think truly, I think their goal is to make sure that the moneymaker is still making money. It’s a water supply. It has hydroelectricity that it supplies to our region, so I’m not proposing that you shut the lake down. They just need to make changes. They need to really clean it, survey it, map it, and really excavate properly because it wasn’t done.
Williams [00:05:25] Clearly, it wasn’t done then when you lost your son, Kile, ten years ago. It’s not being done now, which is why there are still deaths on deaths and injuries upon injury as recent as this summer, this summer that we’re in right now. And we know that this will continue.
And I think it’s worth noting, Tameka, that you are a woman with an enormous platform, high visibility, a public figure, and to see the relative lack of responsiveness to your calls of action, I think is very telling. We’ve got to break down to where this issue stems from. I want you to stay with us Tameka Foster. On the other side of the break, we want to talk about your foundation and how you’re doing the work to keep Kile’s memory alive.
Check out the full clip above and tune into “theGrio with Eboni K. Williams” at 6 p.m. ET every weeknight on theGrio cable channel.
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